TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: California High-Speed Rail Project Update
MEETING DATE: June 24, 2025
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize staff to continue monitoring and participating in the project development activities for the California High-Speed Rail Project and support the Commerce Metro Station relocation alternative.
BACKGROUND:
The Los Angeles to Anaheim rail segment connects Los Angeles and Orange counties from Los Angeles Union Station to the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center using the existing Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo rail corridor. The corridor is currently used by both passenger (Metrolink and Amtrak) and freight rail providers.
The approximately 30-mile corridor travels through the cities of Commerce, Los Angeles, Vernon, Bell, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, La Mirada, Buena Park, Fullerton, and Anaheim, as well as parts of unincorporated Los Angeles County. In November 2023, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) issued a Supplemental Alternatives Analysis (SAA) proposing to advance the shared track alternative for further consideration in the draft environmental document (EIR/EIS).
The shared track alternative is designed to fit almost entirely within the existing railroad right-of-way and calls for two new tracks that would be shared by Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, High-Speed Rail, and Metrolink Orange County Line trains. Meanwhile, Metrolink 91 Line, freight, and Amtrak’s two daily long-distance trains would operate on three conventional tracks, resulting in five tracks.
Metro has hosted meetings with city managers and staff to ensure the Los Angeles County cities are updated on the High-Speed Rail project status and design. CHSRA staff have been present and supplied a project overview and status updates. These meetings have provided a forum for valuable input from cities in Los Angeles County and have been beneficial in building a partnership with the CHSRA to receive constructive comments about the design as it evolves. City staff plan on continuing this dialogue with all the partners in this project.
ANALYSIS:
Due to incompatible surrounding land uses, limited transit service, lack of active transportation amenities, and complicated train operations in the Commerce segment of the railroad, boardings and ridership demand at the existing Commerce station are extremely low compared to other stations along the corridor. To maximize ridership potential, CAHSR and LA Metro are prioritizing station sites that can be fully integrated with housing and mixed-use development in accordance with urban planning best practices and modern train-oriented community development.
Each city has had an opportunity to review and comment on the Preliminary Engineering for Project Definition Report (PEPD) prepared by CAHSR as part of the CEQA and NEPA environmental clearances. The PEPD Preferred Alternative proposes a new flyover viaduct in the City of Commerce to address a significant bottleneck in the Southern California railroad network while building capacity for high-speed passenger rail service in the future.
In furtherance of the State Rail Plan, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) identified the Commerce Flyover Project as a high-priority, high-value project and made preliminary investments through the Port and Freight Infrastructure Program (PFIP). While the Commerce Flyover Project improves operational flexibility, it also necessitates demolishing and relocating the existing Commerce Metro passenger rail station.
ALTERNATIVES:
Approve staff recommendation.
Reject staff recommendation.
Provide staff with further direction.
FISCAL IMPACT:
As the owner and operator of the existing Commerce station, the City of Commerce seeks to ensure that it is equitably considered throughout the planning and decision-making processes of the Flyover Project. Additionally, staff will seek to recoup previous capital investments and maintenance expenditures related to the existing station and/or fund future transit-oriented, mixed-use development projects.
RELATIONSHIP TO 2016 STRATEGIC GOALS:
This agenda item relates to the 2016 strategic planning goal of “reviewing and updating services and activities to increase efficiency,” as the proposed recommendation outlined in the report ensures the City is equitably considered throughout the Commerce Flyover Project's planning and decision-making processes.
Prepared by: Claude McFerguson, Director of Transportation Fiscal impact reviewed by: Alvaro Castellon, Director of Finance Approved as to form by: Noel Tapia, City Attorney
Respectfully submitted: Ernie Hernandez, City Manager
Attachment: Letter of Support for Rail Optimization and the Commerce Metro Station Relocation Alternative PAGE 1
Page PAGE 1 of NUMPAGES 3
CITY OF COMMERCE
AGENDA REPORT
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